COLD MOUNTAIN
US, 2003, 150 minutes, Colour.
Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellwegger, Ray Winston, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, James Gammon, Philip Seymour Hoffman Natalie Portman, Jena Malone, Charlie Hunnan.
Directed by Anthony Minghella.
However one responded to The English Patient, it was clear that writer-director Anthony Minghella was a fine movie craftsman and a director of elegant films. The comparison usually offered is David Lean and it is a reasonable one here. And this is especially true of Cold Mountain.
Minghella has adapted the very popular novel by Charles Frazier into a two hour post Civil War epic journey. Minghella does not neglect the war. In fact, his portrayal of the siege of Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1864 is quite
extraordinary with its quiet picture of the confederate defences, the dynamiting by the Yankees and their eager attack which has them attacking, then massed against a wall from which they cannot retreat. If there were to be a picture of the horrors of war, we have it here.
However, the focus is on the community of Cold Mountain where the minister's daughter Ada (Nicole Kidman) writes letters to Inman, (Jude Law) whom she came to know briefly before he went to the war. Impoverished, she finds it difficult to accept charity, finds the attentions of Teague (Ray Winstone) the ruthless redneck leader of the Home Guard whose mission it is to round up and kill deserters very unwelcome and who has to learn to put aside some of her genteel ways and work to survive. The catalyst for this transformation is backwoodsman Ruby who comes to help and brooks no nonsense from Ada. Renee Zellwegger puts aside the glamour of Chicago and Down with Love and gives a commanding performance. It is not meant as a put down but as a compliment to say that if they decided to revive Ma Kettle on screen, Zellwegger could do wonders with her.
The core of the film is Inman's epic journey, his odyssey, from the Carolina coast through the farmlands and the mountains, the changing seasons back to Ada and Cold Mountain. Along the way, in the different encounters, we are given some fine cameos from an excellent cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Baker, Eileen Atkins, Giovanni Ribisi, Natalie Portman, Brendan Gleeson, all of whom are worth seeing.
This is screen romance, action adventure, an attempt to portray the war and its aftermath for the South, an attempt to
immerse the audience in the feel of nineteenth century America and appreciate the hardships and heritage.
1. The reputation of the film, acclaim? The epic tone? The elegance of Anthony Minghella's craftsmanship? The popular novel, adapted for the screen? The skills of Anthony Minghella as writer and director?
2. The 19th century in the southern states, the Carolinas, the mountain communities? The coast, the background of the Civil War, the war sequences? The journey, the places during the travels, the farms, the seasons? The location photography in Romania and the United States? The musical score, the background songs?
3. The American Civil War, the issues between the north and the south, the slaves, the antagonism between north and south? The staging of the battles, the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia? The southern setting, the southern attitudes, the perspective on the war? The flashbacks to Cold Mountain at the outbreak of the war, the anticipation of the men, their allegiance to the south, "Our war", the effect on them? The actual war sequences, the placing of explosives under the southern defences, the massacre of the explosion? The attack of the north, the huge group of men and their being blocked by the war, their being crammed in, the shooting, the hand-to-hand fighting?
4. The consequences of the war for the young men of north and south, death, war injuries, the sequences in the hospitals, the effect on the families, the absence of the young men, the farms and the land deserted, the setting up of the home guards and their ruthless tracking down of deserters, the soldiers on the road trying to get home, the Yankee soldiers and the rape of the southerners? The film's presentation of the horrors of war?
5. The voice-over, Ada and her story of herself, the comment about the south, her relationship with Inman? The background of Ada and her father and their coming to Cold Mountain, her character, the character of Inman, the letters - those that were received and those not received? Her initially prim perspective, her love for Inman, his absence during the war, the finale?
6. The structure of the film: Cold Mountain itself, Inman at war, the visualising of the battle, the flashbacks to three years earlier, the interconnection between the war, Inman's memories, the flashbacks? The beginning of the journey, the change in Inman, the greater change in Ada, by herself, with Ruby, the dangers? Bringing them together at the end - and the tragedy? The final sequences of hope and the future?
7. 1861: Ada and her father, their arrival, she being elegant and beautiful, seemingly out of place in the town, her father and his illness, being the minister? The ceremonies in the church, the hymn-singing - and the news coming of the declaration of war? Ada meeting Sally, watching Inman doing the work, the wager, his clearing the field? His going to war, the final talk between them, the kiss? Ada and her reading to her father, their discussions, his death in the rain? The watch? The elegant life that she led?
8. Ada and the death of her father, the war, becoming poorer, helpless? Her going to the shop, trying to trade the watch? The friendship of Sally, her being hungry, getting the meals from Sally? Trying to survive? The sudden arrival of Ruby, Ruby as a challenge, the way she talked, worked, got Ada up, out in the fields, building the fence, the plan for the gardens, the animals? Ada reading to her - and Ruby wanting to know what happened in Wuthering Heights? Playing the piano and Ruby listening? Ada selling the piano? The fence-making as the main achievement that Ada had done? The achievement on the farm? Teague and the home guard, his continual presence, his looking at her, her rejecting him?
9. The character of Ruby, from the backblocks, tough, strong, determined? Her story about her father? The change that she made in Ada, in herself? Her father's turning up, talking? Playing the music? Getting rid of him? The home guard, the shooting of the player, the shooting of her father, of Georgia? Her liking Georgia? The finding of the bodies? The shooting of the turkey, Ada and her shooting, her success, seeing the figure come up the hill - and her memories of Sally and Sally's husband putting her in the well and looking for the reflection and her thinking that Inman would return to her?
10. The reunion between Inman and Ada, their love, the declaration, the proposal, the repetition of the theme of marrying and their seeing themselves as married, the consummation of their love? Ruby, meeting Inman, her response, leaving them be with an ironic touch? The arrival of Teague, the confrontation, the shooting? The death of Teague? Bosie and the confrontation, the pursuit, Inman and Bosie, each shooting the other? Ada and the reality of what she had seen in the well? Her grief?
11. The character of Inman, the focus of the film on him, an ordinary young man from Cold Mountain, his skills, quiet, the wager, his devotion to Ada, the book that she gave him, carrying it, even when wounded holding on to the letters, her photo and the book? With the men in the trench, the explosion, the desperate fighting, his aggression and killing? His own injury, in the hospital, the decision to escape? The film and the focus on his odyssey, the overtones of the epic odyssey? His travelling through the south, the dangers, being seen as a deserter, his hunger? The encounter with the Reverend about to kill the young woman? The discussions, going into the town, the Reverend and his story, the young woman and her being pregnant, tying him up and gagging him, the irony of meeting him again, going across the river, the young woman and her offer, the money, her being shot? His finding the family, the backwoods people, the meal, the sexual advances, the husband betraying them, his being taken with the reverend on the chain gang, the group to find the authorities as the Yankees rode past, their running up the hill, the Reverend dying, the other deaths? Inman lying unconscious, the goat passing, the goat woman, her rescuing him, taking him home, healing him, her talk about the goat, killing it for the meal, their talk, his being nourished and going on his journey? The farm, his wanting food, the rain, the young widow with the baby, her concern about the baby, alone, inviting him inside, their lying together? His going off, the Yankees coming, the attempted rape, the shootings? The widow shooting the innocent Yankee? The passing of time, the seasons, growing his beard, the snow, the journey? His meeting Ada, his shaving, the night, the future opening before him - and his death?
12. Sally and her husband, good farmers, their sons at war, helping Ada, the home guard and the confrontation, killing the father, torturing and hanging Sally, shooting the boys? Sally surviving, being cared for by Ada and Ruby, her becoming part of their family?
13. Teague, the home guard, power, ruthlessness, cruelty? The torture? The killings? The pursuit of Ruby's father, having her father and his friends sing, shooting the singer, shooting the father, Georgia escaping? The father surviving, being cared for, becoming part of the family?
14. The cameo roles and the quality of these performances and memorable characters? The goat woman and her serenity, strength, peace, support of Inman? The young girl rowing and her being shot? The widow, alone, frightened for her child, lonely, at risk from the Yankees? The Reverend and his misbehaviour, his friendship with Inman, his death? The backwoods family, the husband and his betrayal, the sexual impact of the women?
15. Ruby as a character, strong, not educated but wise, forthright, hardworking? Georgia, the marriage and the child?
16. The final sequence, Ada's comment, the family's, the children, the hope for a future after the drama and the tragedy of the Civil War?
